Managing work and being a parent can be exhausting. Staying productive while waking up for those late-night feedings and juggling everything else is truly a tough job. Many parents choose to begin to work from home after having a baby, while others may have already been working from home and are now struggling to fit baby time into their established work routine. Here are some tried-and-true tips on how to work from home with a baby. Your Secret Weapon Is Nap Time !
Many parents work from home, but parents of babies have an advantage over parents of older children – nap times. Nap time gives you a length of quiet, uninterrupted time where you can work, and often naps occur at roughly the same point each day. It may be your most productive time, so be sure to take advantage of it.
Wear Your Baby
Babywearing allows you to keep your baby close and comforted while still being able to use your hands. This means your baby will be happy, and you will get some work done. It’s a win-win. This works well whether your baby is awake or asleep.
Work Early or Work Late
Experiment with waking up before the baby, or staying up later at night to work. Find which time is most productive for you and use this time to do work that requires more concentration and focus.
Work From Various Devices
Use your phone to work when you’re feeding your baby or lying down with them. Working from your phone might not be as productive as working at your computer, but if you’re stuck under a sleeping baby it allows you to accomplish some tasks. Use apps or programs that sync between devices so that when you are able to return to your computer, you can continue where you left off.
Use Dictation Tools
Dictation tools or speech-to-text programs allow you to talk with your baby while continuing to work. Use a singsong voice or a happy voice while speaking to your baby, even if you’re just dictating your next email.
Balancing work and parenting certainly is a tough job. By scheduling your most focused work during those precious sleep hours, you’ll be able to enjoy the time when your baby is awake. There are many tools that allow you to continue to be productive as you spend time with your baby, giving you the ability to work from home and look after your baby at the same time.
